The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-04-25
n, Peters, Cburah.

The first mas was celebrated at 7
o'clock by the very Rev. ]. p. Moran,
0. p, pastor Of the church. At this
mass the Catholic Knights of Mem.
phis attended in body and received
Holy Communion. The second mass
was said by the Rev. ]. V. Edelin,, o.
P at 8 o'clock, and the third mass at
1890 o'clock was sung by the Rev. Z.
A. Ashfeld, o. p, who also sang YES.
pers and gave benediction at 1880
o'clock pm.
The sermon on the gospel of the day
was delivered by the reverend pastor,
who took for his text:
And other sheep have that are not Of
this fold; them also l must bring, and they
shall hear my voice and there shall be one
fold and one shepherd. John Z, l6.)
Our Divine Lord in this days Cos
pei points cut to the Pharisees one OF
the most important marks of His
church, viz. its unity. In plain and
simple language he declares that it
shall be one in its founder, one in its
faith and one 10 ils organization.
Under the homsly figure Of a shep.
herd, flock and fod He pictures
Himself, His followers and His church.
He acknowledges that He has other
sheep, but emphatically declares that
He has cnly one fold into which He
shall gather all His sheep to make
them one fold under the ehepherd.
His fold is the one which He has es-
tablishe and which was in existence
whsn He spoke this parable to the
Pharsees. II at that lime there could
he but one shepherd and one
fJld there can only be the
same today He is the only
shepherd and he has only one fold or
church. This one church is the Holy
Catholic Church; for this alone, &C
cording to the testimony of history,
ia the church established by Christ.
Now it follows since there is but one
Old, all who will be saved must enter
therein, and that there can be no sal.
walton for those who remain on the
outside; or in other words, that there
is no salvation except in the Catholic
Church. In considering these propo.
sitions, two questions Immediately
nresent themselves. First, why is
the Catholic Church the only saving
church, Second, how is it with the
salvation OF those who do not belong
to the Catholic Church? The answer
to the first question is: Because in her
alone we find all that Christ has Or
dained for the obtaining OF salvation,
the conditions Of which are to believe
all that Christ has taught, TO do all He
has command ed and to make use OF
the means Of grace which He has or
dainde Tor our ealvstion.- Vide ST.
Mark, xvi, is; st John, |, 36.
The Catholic Church was establish
ed by Christ to preach His doctrine TO
the end of lime, and for fifteen hundred
years none disputed her right to do 30.
The Bishops assembled at Cartilage
under st. CypriaD, at the beginning OF
the third century, unanimously de-
clare: "0ur mother, the Catholic
Church, will at all times preserve the
truth pure, for she is governed and
taught by God abe is the one and the
only teacher OF ealvation." Even
Luther himself says: "He that will
know anything OF Christ, let him not
presume to build for himself his own
bridge unto heaven by his own
reason, but 90 to the church and ask
her."
1t follows that all religious societies
separated from The Catholic Church
are not in the way OF salvation because
they are destitute Of the true faith, the
first requisite for salvation.
The second questi0n--How is II
With the salvation Of those who do
not belong to the church,
There Is but one answer to this.
Who are they who do not belong TO
the church2 They may be classed
under three heads. First, all non
Christians, that IL, ell who are not bap
tz'd, for baptism 10 the door through
which all enfr the church.
We must distinguish between the
children who die before they come to
the use OF reason and the adults. The
children OF sueh parents, who die be-
lore they come to the use OF Tess n,
are in the same situation as the child
rem of Christian PARENTS who die with
out baptism. They ara stained only
with ths quilt Of OF ginal siu.
AS Catholics, we hold tba' the Gath
Ole Church 10 The only saw g church
aud that We maat belong to her in or
der 10 bs saved. As for ourselves, let
US endeavor bya faithful perform 9nce
Of our duties 40 members oil the Oath.
ole Chufch t. enter through her into
everlasting life,